A Comparative Analysis of Professional Forums in the United States Army and Hybrid Communities of Practice in the Civilian Sector

Communities of practice (COPs) have been around since the founding of the first social networks many millennia ago. Organizations around the world over the last two decades have leveraged COPs as tools in the knowledge management (KM) toolkit; however, the rules of the game have changed as the ubiquity of the Internet in organizations has led to profound changes in KM practices, including the rise of hybrid communities of practice (HCoPs), which combine both virtual and real world interaction between members. Whereas civilian organizations have adopted HCoPs and the adapted business unit structural changes associated with global collaboration, many have wondered how these changes would affect the U.S. military and the Army in particular. This paper is a comparative analysis of HCoPs in the Army and civilian organizations around the world. Based on a review of HCoP typologies in civilian organizations, it classifies four Army HCoPs and compares them with civilian HCoPs and their associated challenges, strategies, and practices. The study shows that the Army´s implementation of HCoPs converges with that of the civilian sector, despite differences in organizational cultures, strategies, missions, and practices. As has been the case throughout history, best practices are seldom kept secret; the Army and civilian organizations share best HCoP practices and learn from each other.